Scugog commits $30,000 for cellular and internet upgrades

DAN CEARNS, The Standard

SCUGOG: The Township of Scugog is looking to improve the cellular reception at two of their facilities and the internet quality at the Scugog Community Recreation Centre (SCRC).

At a meeting, on Monday, May 16th, councillors saw a report from clerk Becky Jamieson detailing the issues with cellphone reception in the basement of the municipal office and at the SCRC.

“Currently, there is poor cellular reception in the basement of the Municipal Office, which impedes staff’s ability to do their jobs effectively and efficiently. Seven full-time staff and part-time and summer students have offices in the basement. In addition, the basement boardroom is used for meetings, and the main staff lunchroom is in the basement,” the report stated.

“At the SCRC, there are 11 permanent full-time, two permanent part-time, one seasonal curator, and a number of students who work out of the facility. There is little to no cellular reception in many areas of the SCRC, which impedes staff’s ability to do their jobs and provides poor customer service to those using the facility. The lack of cell reception creates a health and safety concern, should an emergency situation occur within the facility. When an incident occurs on one of the ice pads, or in parts of the facility where there is no or limited cell reception, staff must go to the main front doors to be able to make a call from their cell phone for assistance. This is a concern when immediate action is needed.”

The report also detailed internet issues at the SCRC.

“The internet at the SCRC has been unstable for the past couple of years on numerous occasions, and more recently these past few months. Staff rely on access to technology and the internet, and this lack of internet access impacts staff’s ability to do their work and provide services to the public. The SCRC is a community hub, with many visitors both attending sporting events, meetings and larger community events, in the main hall and the ice pads. Visitors to public facilities have become used to a reasonable level of access to the internet and cell coverage, to allow them to remain connected and allow access to normal business functions when required.”

In order to fix the internet issue, the report recommended installing fibre cabling to the SCRC. The Township is also purchasing and installing cellular boosters and antennas to fix the cellular reception issue.

Ward 3 Councillor Robert Rock questioned how long the fibre cabling would be for the SCRC.

“Up to 500 metres of fibre will be run during this,” Ms. Jamieson responded.

Ward 1 Councillor Ian McDougall asked if the Township is looking to have staff members primarily use their cellphones when making calls.

“The main Township of Scugog phone system will be the main communication tool. However, as we all know, cellphones are very common in today’s world,” Ms. Jamieson explained. “We want to ensure staff, as well as visitors who are attending the municipal office and utilizing some of the space in the basement, are able to use their cellphones.”

Councillors later approved transferring $30,000 from their Systems and Security Contingency Reserve to fund these improvements.

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